Message from the CSWA President: In this Time of Violence (October, 2018)

In this time of violence, the pipe bombs which thankfully harmed no one, the shooting at a supermarket, the tragic deaths of 11 members of the Tree of Life synagogue while at prayer, and the anticipated aggression against refugees from Central America, CSWA would like to extend our care and support to all personally affected by these terrible recent and future events. The verbal escalation of hate and the actions that it promotes in our country is frightening and inescapable. We must do better to counter the violent words and destruction to which they lead.

As the wonderful Fred Rogers, who lived in Squirrel Hill where the Tree of Life synagogue is located, said, “When things go wrong, look for the helpers.” We are the helpers. Let’s do all we can to fulfill our mission and prevent the demeaning of others. We must confront the grief and helplessness so many of us feel in the face of this hate and violence. Together, in our practices and our lives, we can express the alternative – containing our rage to avoid harming others – and hope that our fellow citizens can still listen.

Don’t forget that CSWA (www.clinicalsocialworkassociation.org) is your national voice, the Voice of Clinical Social Work. If you haven’t renewed, do it today. If you haven’t yet joined, do it today. As a membership organization, CSWA needs a collective individual membership to be effective in our advocacy and educational work on your behalf.

Melissa Johnson, LCSW, President, Clinical Social Work Association
mjohnson@clinicalsocialworkassociation.org